HAP’s Leadership Summit: Day 1
May 12, 2025
HAP’s 2025 Leadership Summit kicked off today in Hershey with an opening keynote and a preconference focused on addressing emergency department overcrowding.
“Pennsylvania is home to some of the finest hospitals—and the finest minds—in the country,” said Roxanna Gapstur, PhD, RN, president and CEO of WellSpan Health and HAP Board chair, in opening remarks. “There is no problem we cannot solve. The mission is critical. And the time is now.”
Here are some key takeaways from the first day of HAP’s signature event.
Social Connections Critical for Leaders
Social connections are among the most valuable assets health care leaders can cultivate within their organizations, said Thomas H. Lee, MD, chief medical officer, Press Ganey. Lee’s opening keynote focused on evidence-based strategies for leaders to create environments that prioritize connection, teamwork, and empathy.
Ignite Talks: Innovative Strategies for Emergency Care
Pennsylvania hospital leaders shared strategies they have implemented to improve emergency department throughput.
Jillian White, MD, FACOG, vice president of medical affairs, WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, discusses a multidisciplinary initiative that led to dramatic reductions in emergency department boarding times, patient wait times, and safety incidents.
Chris Gauthier, DO, chief resident physician, psychiatry, and Rose Nourse, MSN, RN, behavioral health nurse navigator, present on St. Luke's University Health Network’s strategies for reducing behavioral health patient boarding.
Robin M. Wood PhD, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, vice president for system capacity management & patient flow, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, shares lessons from a hospital redesign that reduced ED wait times through smarter layouts and workflow improvements.
Promising Practices for Emergency Departments
Speakers shared strategies for hospital leaders to address emergency department overcrowding.
Bobby Kapur, MD, MPH, CPE, FACEP, Chair, AHN Emergency Management Institute, regional vice president, US Acute Care Solutions, discusses strategies to increase quality and value-based care.
Hamad Husainy, DO, FACEP, chief medical officer, Point Click Care, discusses how communication—both interpersonal and technology-driven—can enhance coordination, streamline processes, and improve outcomes.
Shana Palmieri, LCSW, CCO and co-founder, Xferall, LLC, and Annette Hampton, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, nurse manager, emergency department, The George Washington University Hospital, shared how leveraging real-time digital transfer technology can decrease ED boarding and improve outcomes for behavioral health patients.
HAP’s Leadership Summit continues Tuesday. Be sure to follow along with HAP on LinkedIn and X for updates throughout the summit.